Throughout her career, Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks has brought vision, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, political savvy, and strategic thinking to every endeavor she has attempted. She has the ability to bring talented people together to form cohesive leadership teams within organizations and build collaborative advocacy coalitions among very diverse stakeholders. A nationally-recognized leader, Sharon thrives on challenges and seeks to develop and promote leadership in others.

In October 2009, Mrs. Lettman-Hicks became the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Since 2003, NBJC has provided leadership at the intersection of mainstream civil rights groups and mainstream LGBT organizations, advocating for the unique challenges and needs of the African-American LGBT community that are often relegated to the sidelines. NBJC envisions a world where all people are fully-empowered to participate safely, openly and honestly in family, faith and community, regardless of race, gender identity or sexual orientation. In concert with NBJC's mission to eradicate racism and homophobia, her personal goals are to make the Black family the focal point of NBJC; to tell compelling stories about the Black LGBT community; and to see Black LGBT people understood, embraced and respected for their valuable contributions to society.

Sharon comes to NBJC after eight years at the People For the American Way (PFAW) Foundation, where her responsibilities included leading the Homophobia in the Black Church program through their African American Religious Affairs division. During her tenure at PFAW Foundation, Sharon held several positions, including Florida Director for Civic Engagement/Election Protection; National Deputy Field Director; National Field Director for the Election Protection Campaign; National Director/Vice President for Leadership Programs; and Executive Vice President for Leadership Programs and External Affairs. As an Executive Vice President, Sharon's responsibilities included overseeing the institution's dynamic leadership programs—including Young People For, Young Elected Officials Network, and African American Religious Affairs—in addition to the organization's engagement with supporters and investors, key constituency groups, and coalition allies. She was one of the chief architects of the leadership programs, and provided invaluable vision and innovative implementation models that led to the programs' tremendous growth. Sharon has been successful in orchestrating strategic partnerships, ranging from building grassroots activism to catalyzing the engagement and investment of key influencers and funders.

Sharon is renowned for her political acumen and an ability to bring together unlikely allies as stakeholders in joint collaborations that strengthen the progressive movement and give power to new ideas and policies. Her efforts to bridge divides across race, religion and sexual orientation were featured in the Gill Foundation's 2007 annual report, which identified her as a key ally for the LGBT equality movement. Sharon has been a powerful spokesperson for religious liberty, and the separation of church and state; her leadership in this arena has gained the confidence of individual and foundation investors. The Rockwood Leadership Institute selected Sharon as one of 24 progressive executive management leaders for the 2008-09 Leading from the Inside Out Fellowship Program, designed to strengthen senior leadership in the non-profit sector.

She has appeared on broadcast and in print media nationally, including CNN, the "Tom Joyner Morning Show", Air America, NPR, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the Miami Herald. In addition, Sharon has served on the Board of Directors for the National Stonewall Democrats and the Advisory Council of Progressive Majority's Racial Justice Campaign; and she has been a national trainer for Wellstone Action, Democracia USA and the Front Line Leaders Academy. Sharon believes activism includes the need to financially support your interests; she is a fully-paid life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., FAMU National Alumni Association, and the NAACP. Mrs. Lettman-Hicks is the proud wife of an active duty Iraqi War veteran in the United State Air Force, and they reside in Southern Maryland, near Washington, DC.

slettman@nbjc.org

Official hi-res photo available here
Official bio PDF available here

Dr. Sylvia Rhue is the Director of Religious Affairs with the National Black Justice Coalition.  She is the longest serving member of the staff and was instrumental in the founding of NBJC.  Her work with the Religious Affairs Program includes launching and developing the annual Black Church Summit, held in mainstream Black Churches and featuring prominent national religious personalities.  Each Black Church Summit helps lead our LGBT faith communities and allies in creative and spiritually based challenges to religious discrimination.

Previous positions held by Dr. Rhue include Coalition Manager for California Freedom to Marry and the Director of Equal Partners in Faith, as well as positions with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights, and also with Woman Vision. She also worked at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, first as the Assistant Director of Counseling, and later as the Policy and Public Affairs Advocate.

Her activism began with meeting Martin Luther King in 1964 which led her to go door-to-door to raise money for the Civil Rights Movement. This activism accelerated when she began work with the LA Gay and Lesbian Community Center and helped found the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum in 1988 with Phill Wilson.  At this time she created a video on Black Gay and Lesbian History called “We Have a Legacy”.

A native Californian, she graduated from UCLA with a Masters Degree in Social Work and received a Doctorate in Human Sexuality from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco. She is the first African American to receive this degree. Dr. Rhue is the co-producer of the award-winning film "All God's Children" and she is an expert on the "ex-gay" movement, which she calls “the cult of the annihilation of the authentic self”. Dr. Rhue is a noted public speaker, a documentarian, a religious scholar and a writer.

srhue@nbjc.org

 
 


For press inquiries, please contact Katina Parker, Senior Communications Strategist, at kparker@nbjc.org or call 818-692-3300.